Portable ditch pump



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 25, 1942 N mwww INVENTOR LJCSC/Jfnidfi ATTORNEYS Dec. 29, 1953 L. K. SCHMIDT PORTABLE DITCH PUMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed March 25, 1942 N *u kn mm *m m 2 D Al 3 A l ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 29, 1953 PORTABLE DITCH PUMP .Lloyd K. Schmidt, Walnut Grove, -Calif., assignor of one-half to Albert M. J ongeneel, Walnut Grove, Calif.

Continuation of abandoned application Serial No.

736,915, March 25, 1947. This application .Feb- ,ruary ,16, 1953, Serial No. 336,940

4 Claims.

This application is a continuation of application Serial No. 735,915, filed March 25, 1947, now abandoned.

Thisinvention is directed to, and it is an object to provide, a novel, portable pump adapted to lift water from an irrigation ditch and discharge such water into an adjacent field.

Another object of the invention is to provide a portable ditch pump, for the purpose described, which includes an'intake pipe and a discharge pipe, both. of substantial length; the intake pipe projecting rearwardly and being mounted. for vertical adjustment between an elevated position for transport and a lowered position for pumping.

A further object of the invention is to provicle a portable ditch pump, as in the preceding paragraph, in which the discharge pipe normally projects laterally, but is mounted, by unique means, for adjustment to a rearwardly projecting position for transport.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a portable ditch pump which comprises, in combination with a wheel-supported vehicle frame, an'intermediate pipe extending transversely of the frame and mounted for rotat on abouta transverse axis; the intake pipe extending from one end of the intermediate pipe and the discharge p pe extending from the other end of said intermediate pipe; there'being a novel winch, mast, and lift cable system. assembly operative to selectively raiseor lower saidintake pipe with the'rotatable intermediate pipe as its axis.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel hinge and gasket arrangement between adjacent ends of the discharge pipe and the intermediate pipe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a practical and readily portable device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective. for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplishedby means of such structure and relative arangement of parts, as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. 4

In the drawings:

Fig. .1 is a side elevation of the portable ditch pump.

. Fig.2 is a plan View of. the same.

, Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the hinge and gasket. arrangement between adjacent ends of the discharge pi e. and intermediate pipe.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on. the drawings. the portable ditch pump comprises avehicle frame 1 adapted formovement along the ground, which frame may be part of any type of vehicle, such as a truck or tra ler; 2. trailer being shown. in the present embodiment. The frame .I is supported, adiacent its rear end, by wheels 2. .Atits forward endthe frame I includes a'hitch 3 adapted for connection.

At its rear end the frame I is,fitted,,in. rigid relation, with a pair of rearwardlyprojecting, relatively large-diameter collars 4 .disposedin transversely spaced, axial .alinement; said collars being of split type to permit of properdiametral adjustment thereof.

The collars 4 engage about a transversely extending, horizontal pipe 5, hereinafter referred to as the intermediate pipe, and support such pipe in relatively rotatable relation.

At one end, which is disposed a considerable distance laterally of the frame I, the intermediate pipe 5 connects ,in communication withan intake pipe .6 disposed at right angles and projecting rearwardly. Said intake pipe 6 is vertically adjustably suspended by a lift cable system I, wh ch extends from the outer end portion of said pipe 6, as at 8, upwardly and rearwardly, .on the dia onal. to the upper end of a rigid mast 9 which upstands from the frame I at its rear end. From the upper end of the mast 9 the lift cable system I includes a pull lead lll Whichextends downwardly to a hand winch I .I on the frame I. It will be seen that by manipulation. of .the winch I, the intake pipe 6 may be adiusted between a, rearwardly and downwardly inclined position for pump ng, and a rcarwardly and-upwardly inclined position for transport. With such adjustment of the intake pipe ,6 the intermediate pipe 5 rotates inthe collars A and thus provides the axis'of rotation. I

The intake pipe 6 carries a pumpassembly compris ng a pump shaft I2 extending axially in the intake pipe 6,.being supported by bearings where necessary. .At the lower end of said intake-pipe the pump shaft I2 isgfitted with an impeller I4, anda screen I3 prevents entry of foreign matter. such as weeds, etc;, into the intake pipe with possible damage to the impeller I4.

Atthe end opposite the impeller I4 the pump shaft I2, is.exposed,,andcarries a multi-groove pulley I5 driven by a plurality of flexible V- belts. I G from another .multi-groove, pulley" I! on the, rear end of a drive ,shaft I8 journaled longitudinally ,onthieirame I by means includin a hearin I 9.

As thej'belts; IIiare ofisubstantial length they absorb the twist imparted thereto upon vertical adjustment of the intake pipe 6, and this adjustment thus does not harm the driving arrangement.

The drive shaft I8 is coupled, at its forward end, in connection with a hood 2|; there being a clutch 22 interposed in said drive shaft.

A relatively long discharge pipe 23 normally projects laterally outwardly from the end of the intermediate pipe opposite the intake pipe 6. Adjacent ends of the intermediate pipe 5 and discharge pipe 23 are formed with cooperating radial flanges 24, with a compressible gasket 25 interposed therebetween to prevent leakage when the pump is in operation.

The discharge pipe 23 is connected to the intermediate pipe 5 on the rear sides of the same, by a hinge, indicated generally at 26, having a generally upstanding axis, whereby said discharge pipe 23 may swing from its operative, laterally outwardly projecting position, shown in full lines in Fig. 2, to a rearwardly projecting position parallel to the intake pipe 6, for transport, as shown in dotted lines in said figure.

In this transport position the discharge pipe 23 extends at a slight upward and rearward incline to facilitate transport, which incline is occasioned by corresponding inclination of the hinge pin 21 of the hinge 26. The discharge pipe 23 is maintained in its folded or transport position by means of a detachable tie rod 28 which connects between ears 29 on adjacent sides of said pipes 6 and 23, intermediate their ends.

When the discharge pipe 23 is in its laterally outwardly projecting, working position, the radial flanges 24 tightly compress the gasket 25 therebetween in non-leaking relation by means of the follo ing arrangement:

On its front side, and adjacent the corresponding flange 24, the discharge pipe 23 includes a forwardly projecting slotted ear 30, and a horizontal, swingably mounted tension bolt 3| projects from the adjacent part of the frame I and engages in said slotted ear 30.

On the opposite side of the discharge pipe 23 there is the hinge 26, which includes one pair of ears 32 fixed to the pipe 23, while the other pair of ears 33 are fixed to a slide plate 34. The pairs of ears 32 and 33 are coupled together by the hinge pin 21.

The slide plate 34 is slidably mounted on the back side of the intermediate pipe 5, and for horizontal motion transversely of the implement, as follows:

The slide plate 34 rests against a backing plate 35 fixed in connection with, and extending between, the collars 4; such backing plate including upper and lower guide flanges 36 between which the slide plate 34 enga es. The slide plate 34 is formed with longitudinally elongated slots 31, and bolts 38 extend through said slots into the backing plate 35. A link 39 pivotally connects between the outer end of the slide plate 34 and the fork 40 of an off-center lever 4|. In the position of the lever shown in Fig. 3, the link 38 is tensioned, urging the slide plate 34 in a corresponding direction, which shifts the hinge 25 in a direction to compress the gasket 25; the tension bolt 3| having been pre-set to proper tension.

Upon release of the lever 4| the link 39 and slide plate 34 shift toward the discharge pipe 23, whereupon the hinge 25 relieves the tension on the gasket 25. When this occurs the tension bolt 3| can be swung out of the slotted ear 30 and 4 the discharge pipe 23 turned rearwardly to its transport position.

A swivelly connected stay 42 connects between the discharge pipe 23 intermediate its ends and the top of the mast 9, whereby to stabilize said pipe as it is swung between its respective positions of adjustment.

When the above described portable ditch pump is in operation, the vehicle part is disposed on the bank 43 alongside the ditch 44 from which water is to be pumped, and the intake pipe 6 is lowered into such ditch in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The discharge pipe 23 is then adjusted from its transport position to its working position, projecting laterally outwardly, whence it discharges into the field alongside the bank 43 on the side opposite the ditch 44.

With the parts positioned as above, the engine is started, whence a drive is imparted to the impeller l3, which pumps water from the ditch, through the described pipe assembly, into the field.

By reason of its practical and convenient arrangement, the pump can be moved along a ditch bank point by point to thoroughly, and yet easily, irrigate a field of relatively large size; the adjustment of the intake and discharge pipe sections between their working and transport positions being a matter of simple manipulation, which the operator can accomplish in a few momerits.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims,

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A water pumping means comprising the combination of: a vehicle adapted for transport from point to point; a pipe mounted on the vehicle adjacent the rear end thereof above ground level and disposed transversely of the vehicle, the pipe being rotatable in its mounting about its longitudinal axis; a fixed extension on one end of the pipe extending at substantially right angles thereto and adapted to be lowered into or lifted out of a water sump upon turning of the pipe;

' a pump disposed in the extension; power means on the vehicle operatively connected with the pump; an extension on the other end of the pipe; such last named extension being adapted to be extended in end to end relation with the pipe when the first extension is in a sump, and such last named extension being hinged to the pipe for swinging movement in a direction rearwardly of the vehicle; and releasable means for clamping the last named extension in such end to end relation with the pipe.

2. A combination, as in claim 1, in which such releasable means includes a tension bolt secured in fixed position adjacent but separate from the inner end of the last named extension, and means for releasably connecting the tension bolt with the inner end of the last named extension at a point opposite the hinge.

3. A combination, as in claim 1, in which such releasable means includes a tension bolt secured in fixed position adjacent but separate from the inner end of said last named extension, means for releasably connecting the tension bolt with the inner end of said last named extension at a point opposite the hinge, a slide element connected between the pipe and the last named extension and mounted for movement lengthwise of the pipe, and a releasable cit-center lever assembly connected to said slide in actuating relation thereto; said lever unit, when in a predetermined off-center and locking position functioning to urge the slide in a direction to draw the inner end of the last named extension against the adjacent end of the pipe.

4. A combination, as in claim 3, including a compressible gasket interposed between the pipe and the inner end of said last named extension.

LLOYD K. SCHMIDT.

N 0 references cited. 

